Background and Aims The aim of this study was to compare the effects of massaging and rocking on the treatment of infantile colic.

Methods This randomized clinical trial involved 100 infants < 13 weeks of age who were considered colic were randomly assigned to either infant massage (n=50) or rocking groups (n=50), in Arak, Iran, in 2010. In the massage group, trained individuals taught the infant massage technique to the parents and gave them a brochure. Daily interventions were recommended in both groups 3 times daily for one week. Parents recorded infant crying times, duration, and severity over a week. After one week, data were analyzed by SPSS and statistical significance tests (P<0.05).

Results Two groups did not differ significantly in infant and mother demographic information. After one week of intervention, the mean difference of total crying time, duration and severity were 4.08 (1.83) time/day, 2.81 (1.77) hour/day and 2.9 (2.37) in massage group and 0.56 (2.28) time/day, 0.27 (1.09) hour/day and 0.02 (1.64) in vibrating group, respectively. The mean of total crying time, duration and severity decreased in both groups but there was a more significant reduction in crying times, duration and severity in massage group than the rocking group.

Conclusions Our findings demonstrated that infant massage was effective in reducing the time, duration, and severity of crying in colicky infants.